Cynthia Erivo Breaks Silence on Elphaba’s Viral ‘Sex Cardigan’ in ‘Wicked: For Good’

Elphaba’s “sex cardigan” in Wicked: For Good may have divided the internet, but for actress Cynthia Erivo, the outfit had a meaningful symbolism.

“The idea was to shoot the song with all of her armor on, with the hat and the coat and the cape. And I thought a couple of things. One, why, if she was in a space that was her own, where she felt the most safe and comfortable, would she still be in her armor?” Erivo, 38, told Deadline on Thursday, December 4, of shooting “As Long as You’re Mine” in the now-viral cardigan. “And two, when do we have an opportunity to see her green from head to toe? When do we get to be reminded that it’s not just makeup? I know that there have been conversations about her seducing and all of that, but honestly, that’s just not the case.”

Elphaba and Fiyero’s (Jonathan Bailey) fiery rendition of the duet may have landed on people’s Spotify Wrapped, but the cardigan earned a mixed reaction from fans, with some X users calling it “ridiculous” and others calling it “comfy.” For Erivo, Elphaba’s ensemble was all about embracing her inner and outer beauty and being comfortable showing her vulnerable side to Fiyero in a way she never had before.

“I just wanted to present an opportunity to see this character where everybody, at this point in the film, have seen Elphaba as the strong, fighting woman who is the Wicked Witch as someone who could actually, when on her own, be the opposite, when comfortable enough to be so,” Erivo continued. “That’s what that was. I just wanted something that removed the armor for a second, while, yes, showing you a more sensual, more connected side of her. The aim was not to turn her into a sexual object, but instead a softer human being worthy of being loved and having an intimate moment with someone.”

During the cave scene, Fiyero calls Elphaba beautiful, but she is hesitant to accept the compliment.

“When she says to him, ‘Don’t lie to me,’ I think she means it,” Erivo noted. “There’s no reason for her to believe him when he calls her beautiful. No one else has ever called her that. Nobody, except for Glinda.”

She dons the chunky knit cardigan over black lingerie as they belt the powerful lyrics and hold hands, leading them to have sex offscreen. Later, they’re seen sharing a sweet embrace underneath a blanket.

“We find out way before this moment that Fiyero loves Elphaba, and that he sees something in her that is different from what other people see,” Erivo noted. “All I really wanted was for everyone to see her as someone vulnerable, soft, sometimes awkward and anxious. Someone who doesn’t [always] necessarily believe in herself.”

Costume designer Paul Tazewell also weighed in on the “sex cardigan” debate, explaining that Elphaba’s outfit choice during the steamy scene had a lot to do with her environment.

“It came out of very literally an organic decision of, what does Elphaba have access to? And living alone, what choice would she make when she’s looking for a robe, some way to be protective and warm? … It’s operating as her robe for that moment,” Tazewell, 61, told NPR on Monday, December 1. “She’s got a loom in her treehouse, where she’s weaving her own clothing. She’s manifesting all these things from the elements that are around her, and the sweater is just in keeping with that.”